United Nations

James Estrin/The New York Times

News about United Nations, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Feb. 27, 2015

United Nations top refugee commissioner Antonio Guterres urges European countries to accept more displaced Syrians in effort to discourage them from making perilous journey across Mediterranean Sea. MORE

Feb. 26, 2015

United Nations reports that torture and abuse of prisoners arrested in Afghanistan's war remains widespread there, illustrating challenges faced by Afghan government as it works to eliminate torture. MORE

Feb. 25, 2015

United Nations-mandated cease-fire monitors want more drones and radar systems for their mission in Ukraine conflict with Russian-backed separatists. MORE

Feb. 25, 2015

Rajendra K Pachauri, chairman of United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, resigns after allegations of sexual harassment are filed against him in India. MORE

Feb. 21, 2015

Officials from World Health Organization and United Nations’ special envoy for Ebola express concern that anti-Ebola effort faces major budget shortfall and that new cases of disease are on rise. MORE

Feb. 20, 2015

Mali government and northern rebel alliance agree to end hostilities and ease tensions for duration of United Nations-sponsored peace negotiations. MORE

Feb. 19, 2015

United Nations officials urge continued caution in West African Ebola epidemic, noting increase in reported cases in Guinea and Sierra Leone. MORE

Feb. 19, 2015

United Nations says 2014 was deadliest year for civilians in Afghanistan since records started being kept in 2009, with deaths up 22 percent, to over 10,000, compared to same period in 2013; grim toll of Afghanistan's war reflects absence of American troops and increase in face-to-face conflicts between militants and Afghan forces. MORE

Feb. 18, 2015

United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura says he has convinced Syrian Pres Bashar al-Assad to stop bombing and shelling the northern city of Aleppo as part of a proposed six-week truce. MORE

Feb. 17, 2015

United Nations agrees to defer release of landmark report on potential war crimes in Sri Lanka during long war with rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam; decision follows intense lobbying by Sri Lankan officials in what top officials describe as a broad new level of cooperation; nation will now demonstrate whether it can mount its own credible investigation into atrocities. MORE

Feb. 15, 2015

The Upshot; Prof Michael Greenstone column notes that while international negotiators are trying to come up with international climate treaty, it will not be binding; describes reasons to feel optimistic about fact that it is non-binding pact. MORE

Feb. 15, 2015

Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague, established by United Nations in order to try case involving assassination of former Lebanese Prime Min Rafik Hariri, faces challenge of showing that delivery of true justice is possible; tribunal is trying five members of Hezbollah in absentia due to reluctance on part of Lebanese authorities to arrest them. MORE

Feb. 14, 2015

Staffan de Mistura, United Nations special envoy for Syria, says having Syrian Pres Bashar al-Assad remain in power is critical to ending war there; while United States and others have formally supported main exile opposition coalition as nation's leader, coalition does not control Syria's armed factions. MORE

Feb. 14, 2015

United Nations commission report finds that Mexican authorities are often involved in widespread disappearances, or kidnappings, in country, most notably those of 43 students who vanished at hands of local police. MORE

Feb. 12, 2015

William Schabas, Canadian law professor who resigned as head of United Nations investigation into 2014 Gaza conflict, says his work was impeded by threats, pressure from Israel and investigation into his background and work he did for Palestinian Liberation Organization; Schabas says he was not prepared for vitriol directed at him. MORE

Feb. 10, 2015

United Nations issues report showing that worldwide increase in violence at schools where girls are seeking access to education, despite legal protections of gender equality; report finds evidence of attacks in at least 70 countries between 2009 and 2014. MORE

Feb. 5, 2015

United Nations says it will establish panel to investigate killing of Spanish peacekeeper during fight between Hezbollah militants and Israeli soldiers near Israel-Lebanon border. MORE

Feb. 5, 2015

News Analysis; government of Sri Lankan Pres Maithripala Sirisena is pushing United Nations to delay inquiry into war crimes committed against ethnic Tamils and to give country time to devise its own system for prosecuting perpetrators; Western countries must decide whether administration's promises of reconciliation justify putting off long-sought investigation. MORE

Feb. 4, 2015

United Nations World Food Program voices its concern over possible manipulation of its Syrian aid after website posts apparently showed Islamic State supporters distributing its relief bags. MORE

Feb. 4, 2015

United Nations Human Rights Council names Mary McGowan Davis, former justice of New York State Supreme Court, to serve on panel's inquiry into possible war crimes in Gaza in 2014. MORE

Feb. 3, 2015

William Schabas, chairman of United Nations panel investigating alleged war crimes in 2014 Gaza conflict, resigns from panel, citing accusations by Israel of personal bias. MORE

Feb. 3, 2015

United Nations special investigator Marzuki Darusman, who has been tasked with looking into human rights abuses in North Korea, says in interview that ruling Kim family has to be replaced in order to break up country's network of prison camps; Darusman cites cult leadership system as impediment to ending abuses. MORE

Feb. 3, 2015

United Nation's World Meteorological Organization releases report that found that 2014 was hottest year in historical record dating back to 1880, but only by few hundredths of degree, within margin of error of global temperature measurements. MORE

Jan. 31, 2015

Saturday Profile of Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein, prince in Jordan's reigning royal family and United Nations high commissioner for human rights. MORE

Jan. 29, 2015

Iran appoints Gholamali Khoshroo as substitute ambassador to United Nations, bowing to United States opposition to its original appointment of Hamid Aboutalebi; United States has accused Aboutalebi of aiding planners of 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. MORE

Jan. 28, 2015

United Nations announces that the first 280 of 3,000 child soldiers in South Sudan have disarmed and abandoned their fatigues; officials say rest of children will demobilize in coming weeks. MORE

Jan. 28, 2015

United Nations' World Food Program, struggling with funding problems, cuts in half amount of food rations given to nearly 150,000 South Sudanese refugees in Uganda. MORE

Jan. 23, 2015

United Nations Memo; Israel's successful bid to United Nations General Assembly to hold first-ever meeting to discuss the rise of global anti-Semitism is supported by host of nations, including all members of European Union; some leaders use opportunity to smooth relations with Israel that had been strained by Europe's tough stance with nation over Palestinian cause. MORE

Jan. 20, 2015

United States backs two initiatives, one from the United Nations and one from Russia, that aim to ameliorate Syria's civil war; move highlights how US has quietly pulled away from demand that Bashar al-Assad step down immediately, particularly in face of growing threat from Islamic State, and is supporting more gradual change proposed by international diplomatic teams. MORE

Jan. 20, 2015

Newly disclosed classified document shows that British intelligence services intercepted email messages to journalists for at least dozen international media organizations at end of 2008, as well as emails sent to United Nations officials and thousands of other people; document is part of trove leaked by Edward J Snowden. MORE

Jan. 19, 2015

Jan. 16, 2015

United Nations is resuming talks with Syria to find a way to broker cease-fire in Aleppo, resolution that both Syrian government and opposition forces have been lukewarm about achieving. MORE

Jan. 16, 2015

United Nations high commissioner for human rights appeals to Saudi Arabia to halt flogging of blogger Raif Badaw; reminds Saudis that flogging is considered form of torture by UN. MORE

Jan. 15, 2015

United Nations is set to begin new round of peace talks aimed at curbing violence and unrest in Libya; many fear that country is close to complete chaos as influence of Muslim extremists grows. MORE

Jan. 13, 2015

United Nations International Labor Organization releases report on women in business that shows that much work needs to be done to achieve gender equality in management; 30 percent of businesses are owned or managed by women worldwide, with only 5 percent of biggest business having women owners or managers. MORE

Jan. 10, 2015

Judge J Paul Oetken, in Manhattan federal court, dismisses a class-action lawsuit by victims of Haiti's cholera epidemic against the United Nations, deeming the organization immune from prosecution based on existing treaties. MORE

Jan. 6, 2015

United Nations announces that its troops have launched both airstrikes and ground offensive with Congolese troops targeting leftovers of Burundian rebel group National Liberation Forces; offensive is also meant to pave way for another offensive against Democratic Forces for Liberation of Rwanda. MORE

Jan. 4, 2015

Editorial expresses concern over Afghan Pres Ashraf Ghani's demand that Afghanistan take over responsibility of United Nations Development Program fund that pays for Afghan police force; questions whether Ghani has his priorities in order, pointing to need for cabinet and negotiations with Taliban to begin reconciliation process. MORE

Jan. 3, 2015

Riyad H Mansour, Palestinian ambassador to United Nations, submits papers for Palestinians to join treaty creating the International Criminal Court, paving way for the tribunal to potentially investigate serious crimes on Palestinian lands committed by either side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. MORE

Dec. 31, 2014

Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein, United Nations high commissioner for human rights, urges Bahrain to release opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman; statement from UN seems to indicate that organization is worried that Salman's arrest could lead to renewed civil unrest in the country. MORE

Dec. 31, 2014

United Nations Security Council draft resolution that would have put in place deadline to establish sovereign Palestinian state is defeated, with United States and Australia voting against it; defeat raises possibility that Palestinian officials could try to seek international recognition in other ways. MORE

Dec. 26, 2014

United Nations announces plans to further cut down on number of peacekeeping forces in Darfur, Sudan, despite renewed violence that has driven 457,000 people from their homes in 2014 alone; statement comes in wake of International Criminal Court's suspension of genocide case against Sudan Pres Omar Hassan al-Bashir; two announcements show how international attention to crisis in Darfur has been overshadowed by other, newer crises elsewhere. MORE

Dec. 25, 2014

Afghanistan Pres Ashraf Ghani demands that United Nations Development Program relinquish control of $500 million fund, called Law and Order Trust Fund of Afghanistan, which bankrolls salaries of Afghanistan's police officers but charges 4 percent to do so; move is part of of effort to rid country of mismanagement and waste. MORE

Dec. 23, 2014

United Nations Security Council, for first time, holds briefing on human rights in North Korea, focusing on UN report into widespread and systematic abuses there; North Korea, despite struggling with Internet shutdown and spat with United States over hacking attack on Sony Pictures, renews threat of nuclear testing in retaliation. MORE

Dec. 19, 2014

United Nations is seeking $8.4 billion to help nearly 18 million victims of Syria’s conflict during 2015; request includes development aid for communities in neighboring countries overwhelmed by fleeing refugees. MORE

Dec. 18, 2014

Palestinians at United Nations persuade fellow Arab diplomats to support draft Security Council resolution that sets one-year deadline for negotiations with Israel and is aimed at full withdrawal of Israeli forces from West Bank; resolution's strict deadlines make its passage unlikely, though Palestinian diplomats say that language could be changed to address concerns of Security Council members. MORE

Dec. 17, 2014

Sweden formally asks United Nations General Assembly to reopen investigation into death of United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, whose plane went down over Zambia in 1961; official inquiries into details of crash and of his death have brought no conclusive answers. MORE

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A report released Wednesday shows that about 60 million metric tons of food is wasted a year in the United States, a problem that contributes to climate change and to the loss of natural resources like water and land.

Human Rights Watch said Tuesday that the Syrian government had dropped so-called barrel bombs on hundreds of heavily populated rebel-held areas in the past year, flouting a United Nations Security Council measure.

Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, recommended that the Human Rights Council defer the release of a landmark inquiry into possible war crimes in Sri Lanka. He cited a letter he received from Sri Lanka’s foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera, who agreed that a U.N. working group on disappearances could visit the country.